Sakura Hopes: An Ouran Fanfic
by xXEdwardTwilightOuranxX
Summary: Several romance stories involving the host club. Mainly about KaoruxOC, but there is a lot of HikaruxOC and TamaxHaru. Sounds simple, but it could result in life changing differences for the Ouran High School Host Club. Read and review
1. Meet the Ouran Host Club

**Sakura Hopes: Part 1**

**Meet the Ouran Host Club**

**WARNING: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or any other allusions mentioned in this story.**

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I was nervous. The nauseous feeling tugged at my stomach, threatening to throw my breakfast out in front of me. I tried to ignore it, but it wasn't enough. I'd been at Ouran Academy for a week now, but I hadn't socialized with anyone at all. I didn't know what to think of the bright yellow uniform either. It was so conspicuous! Well, I guess it was hard to be conspicuous when all the girls were wearing it, too. I felt so out of place at Ouran. None of the other students with their contemptuous attitudes had time for a lowly scholarship student like me. I knew that I was already the laughing stock of class 1-A.

I did have one friend at school, Haruhi Fujioka. We had met while applying for scholarships, but she was posing as a boy at school for some reason and was constantly getting mobbed by random girls in our class. I hadn't had a chance to say anything but a quick 'hi' to her in the hallways. She had made friends with some guys in our class, the Hitachiin twins. I didn't know what to think of the twins. They had a different vibe than some of the other kids here, not snotty or rude, but playful and somewhat impish. But still, they seemed to be troublemakers, and I had a feeling that they were the ones who led the gags against me behind my back.

I all but ran into the classroom just before the bell rangm still feeling queasy. Our teacher gave me a warning look, one eyebrow raised. I blushed and hurried to my seat. Unfortunately, the only seat left was in the middle of the room, right behind one of the Hitachiin twins. I sat down quickly, trying to ignore the muted laughs around the room. Holding back tears, I grabbed my textbook and began the class work on the board. While other students struggled with the work, I finished it without difficulty, my pencil flying across paper. Just before the bell rang, our teacher called me over to her desk. When the classroom was devoid of people besides the two of us, she sighed and began speaking.

"Starting at a new school is incredibly hard, Amaya, I understand that. But, coming to class this late is unacceptable. Do you understand?" She barked. I stammered, trying to say that I wasn't late, but she ignored me completely.

"You attend Ouran Academy, so you have to get to class earlier. This is a prestigious school, and it's time you started taking it seriously!" She stared me down with deadly eyes. I gulped, and nodded silently. I must have looked terrified, because her face softened. "Just come to class on time, all right? I know you had got here before the bell, but I prefer to have my students here a bit earlier," she murmured kindly. I nodded again, promised to come earlier, and thanked her before leaving the classroom. I opened the door to see Haruhi waiting for me, concern etched upon her face.

"Were you in trouble? What did she want?"

"Just asking me to get to class on time... nothing more." I looked around, there was no one paying attention to us. "Did you finally escape your admirers?" I asked, a small smile on my face. Haruhi sighed exasperatedly.

"Yeah... it's about time. Hey, I'm sorry I haven't had much time to talk to you. I just got dragged in to joining a host club," Haruhi said, looking incredibly tired.

"It's fine, no big deal. Wait... Do they know...?" I asked, thinking over what she had just told me.

"Yeah. They all kind of knew from the start except for one guy...he's a total idiotic foo-" Haruhi was cut off by a tall blond boy who casually slung his arm around her shoulders.

"Hello, Haruhi! How are you on this lovely morning? I, your king, am flattered that you are so graced by my presence," he said dramatically. Haruhi pointed at him and mouthed 'this is the idiot' to me.

"Who is your friend Haruhi? OH! Is this the other scholarship student? Amaya, isn't it? Hello, I'm Tamaki Suoh, and it's a pleasure to meet you!" He said, smiling confidently. I smiled shyly and managed a small 'hi' back. Then he towed Haruhi down the hall, with a quick good bye over his shoulder. I looked at my watch quickly. There were about ten minutes left of break. I decided that i would get to class early to do some extra studying. I was so focused in my own thoughts that I didn't notice that someone had stuck their leg out as if to trip me. I plummeted, completing the classic gag, my books and pencils spilling to the floor. Laughter echoed in the halls as I scrambled to pick up my books. I heard someone call out "Loser!" in the midst of all the chaos. Tears leaked out of my eyes as I quickly shoved textbooks into my arms and the hilarity had stopped.

"Is this yours?" I looked up to see the twin I had sat behind in class today. He was holding out my notebook, his expression blank.

"Thank you," I said quietly, hoping that verbal contact would not fail me now.

"No problem. I'm Kaoru, by the way," he replied, in a tone of voice that matched mine, with a touch of sincerity to it.

"I'm Amaya… it's nice to meet you…" I said, blushing. He smiled, and put his hand on my shoulder as a comforting gesture. I felt the need to smile back, meant as a thank you. It was a shy smile, but I felt happier than I had ever felt at Ouran.

After that small exchange, nothing improved for me at all. People started to tease me in my face, following the example of the other person. I bumped into Kaoru now and then, but there was nothing more between us besides a small greeting. Haruhi and I were talking much more, though, but either the mob of fangirls or the Tamaki person often interrupted us. At one time, she asked me if I wanted to go to the host club with her.

"Er... I don't really know... I mean, I don't want to run into a place that's going to make people hate me even more than they do already. And a host club's not really my kind of thing..." I murmured, twirling a lock of my brown hair around my finger.

"Come on. It's not that bad. We can go after club hours, so no one is going to be there. And besides, I need someone for moral support. I might go insane if I stay with these people for too long," she said while I laughed quietly.

"Okay, fine! I'll come, but as long as no one is going to start... you know... er... making some sort of move..." I said. Haruhi agreed, and on that note, we left for the 3rd music room together, no idea what was about to be in store. Just before we entered, Haruhi turned to face me.

"You know, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. It's fine with me." She was right, i didn't really want to go in, but I knew she would feel better if I did.

"I'm fine with it," I said tentatively, hoping that was convincing enough. She nodded, looking much better. The double doors burst pen, and i got my first full look at the 3rd Music Room. It was so... pink. Everything about it was frilly and girlish, it seemed almost nonsensical. In there was Tamaki, the Hitachiin twins, a short, cute boy who looked as if he should be in an elementary school class, a tall and silent boy with dark spiky hair, and a black haired, glasses clad guy.

"Hello Haruhi. Nice of you to finally show up. I'll add another, lets see, how about a 100 more yen to your debt. Now, who is your friend?" The glasses guy asked, looking at me skeptically. Haruhi glared at him, while I was left confused. Debt...?

"Oh! I know who you are! You're Ama-chan, right? Right? I'm Hunny! Have you met my Usa-chan?" Hunny gushed enthusiastically, and bounced forward holding out his stuffed bunny. "Oh, and this is Takashi! But people call him Mori!" Hunny added, gesturing to the tall, silent one, who merely gave me a small wave.

"Why are you even here?" The twins asked simultaneously. Tamaki glared at them fiercely.

"How can you say that? All patronage is accepted here!" He chastened. He then turned to me, a smile on his lips and a rose in his hand.

"Welcome to the Ouran Host Club, Miss Amaya Nakamura. It's a pleasure to have you here. Well, you might be a bit late, but it doesn't matter. Of course, I'm the most requested host, having 3000 requests a day. Would you like to increase that number?" That did it. I turned around slowly, and ran. This wasn't what I signed up for. No way. I heard no pursuit behind me, but I was so upset that I wouldn't stop even if there was. My hand was on the doorknob, about to turn it, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. In shock, my hand immediately froze on the knob, while I turned to see who it was. It was Kaoru. Our gazes had locked, and it seemed as if all time had stopped. After a moment, I tried to shrug his hand off, but it remained glued to my shoulder.

"Don't leave. Not yet… at least..." My eyes widened, hearing these words spoken to me for the first time. He kept his gaze locked on mine, his amber eyes unable to leave my blue. "You shouldn't feel forced to do something… that you don't want to do," Kaoru's quiet voice echoed softly around the empty hallway.

It was good advice. He didn't say much, but what he did say had a lot of sentimental meaning to me. It meant that he cared enough about the ostracized scholarship student to ask her to stay. In the years to come, I would always remember and cherish those words.

"I'm going to let go now. You can run out of here if you want to, and we can pretend like this never happened. Or you could stay. The choice is yours," he murmured. After a moment, the pressure on my shoulder lifted, but I remained where I was. A smile lit up his face, and I returned one. A real one thids time.

"Thank you... Those words that you said... you have no idea what they mean to me," I said, "I really owe you one."

"I'm not letting you forget that," Kaoru said, still smiling, but the smile had already left my face.

"I'll only come back if it doesn't bother anyone or anything…" I muttered shyly.

"I'm sure no one will have a problem with it," he murmured. We didn't say another word until we were back at the 3rd Music Room.

After it was explained that I wasn't interested in hosting or anything of that category, I just watched the rest of them spaz out before it was time to go. But, there was a new feeling in the pit of my stomach. It wasn't nausea, like that early morning a few days ago. It was a feeling I hadn't felt since i came to Ouran. A feeling that you can only get from certain people. A feeling of belonging.


	2. A Day In The Life Of The Commoner

**Sakura Hopes Pt. 2:**

**A Day in the Life of A Shy Girl Stalked by Flamboyant Guys**

**Warning: I don't own Ouran or any other allusions mentioned in this story! I do own Amaya, though.**

Amaya's POV

Life… How quickly it changes! One minute it's down in the dumps, and the next it can't get any better. During my first week in Ouran, I was utterly miserable. This made all my worries and mistakes seem more prominent and frustrating than they really were. After I got friends, worries such as keeping my grades up seemed much less important. I was a top student, maintaining my position as rank 2, and I studied often, so my grades wouldn't fall anytime soon. Since my one big problem was out of the way, then what did I have to worry about? Anyways, when you're happy and distracted, you have a more optimistic attitude about things like this. But, when you're upset and don't have anything to distract you, the worries become bigger thn they really are and a pessimistic attitude settles in.

On the other hand, things were also just as much complicated. I was still getting teased. A lot. It was much worse, actually. Along with random insults now were gags about things I had always seen as failings in myself, lowering my self-esteem considerably. Even though I had felt a glimmer of hope at the Host Club a little while ago, i didn't go back there. I don't know why. I told myself that it was because I was too though conscious about bothering some of the members. But truthfully, I didn't want to lose the special feeling I had felt when I was there. I didn't want to be disappointed again.

Kaoru's POV

"Kaoru! Lets go! Milord's gonna freak out if we're late!" Hikaru called to me. The classroom was desrted besides the two of us. I was still gathering my many books while Hikaru was waiting in the doorway.

"Okay, I'm all set..." I replied, but my voice had an uncertain undertone to it. Almost uncertain. Hoping Hikaru hadn't noticed, I swung my bag over my shoulder and joined him at the doorway.

"About time, dude." Hikaru had obviously meant that as a joke, but he frowned while speaking. Without another word, we proceeded to the 3rd Music Room. When we reached the elaborate double doors, Hikaru stopped abruptly.

"Kaoru... did something happen? Something I don't know about?" Hikaru muttered. His blank poker face gave away no emotion.

"No, nothing happened. Why?" I replied nochalantly.

"I dunno... You just don't seem like yourself lately..." He said. I assured him several more times that i was alright, and with a very forced smile, I opened the doors.

Everyone was already there. Kyoya was sitting at his laptop, no doubt coming up with some sort of money-making scheme that would end up making us pay immensely at his expense. Hunny and Mori were beginning to devour a large chocolate cake. Haruhi was getting a head start on her homework before the customers came in. And Milord was sitting in a corner. I wondered who set him off. Probably Haruhi or Kyoya (most likely Haruhi).

"Sorry we're late, guys," we said simultaneously. No one looked up from what they were doing.

"I'm fine with it. In fact, I encourage it. Your tardiness just gave me an excuse to add 10,000 yen to Haruhi's debt. Good job, guys," Kyoya said, smiling in our direction. Intense daggers bore in our direction for a long moment from Haruhi's corner. Tamaki stood up, as if he had with a 'good idea'.

"Aha!! That's it!! Haruhi isn't the only commoner in the world!!" Milord shouted, slamming his fist into his hand.

"What rubbish, er... I mean... (well, what do I have to lose?) What rubbish are you blurting out now, Senpai?" Haruhi muttered.

"Oh ho ho! I'm glad you asked, dear Haruhi! You see, I say I'm interested in the commoner lifestyle, but I've only investigated your way of life. Haruhi isn't the only commoner in the world, so other commoners must lead different life styles than she does! There is our solution!" Tamaki exclaimed with delight.

"Solution? Sounds more like a problem to me..." Kyoya asked, loud enough for Tamaki to hear.

"I need to stalk… I mean, follow them around!!" Milord shouted, ignoring Kyoya totally. "But, I need help. Who's willing to help me??" Hunny looked as if thoroughly pondering the idea.

"Well, I might... but you guys would then have to wake me up too early and then i would kill you with my pretty pink bunny cloud... And murder doesn't look good on college applications, right, Takashi?" Hunny said.

"Yeah. Not good," Mori said.

"Hey, why don't you just give this whole commoner gag up and leave me in peace without having to worry about you guys bargeing into my house again? What's so great about stalking people, anyways?" Haruhi sighed.

"No no no, but it's not stalking! It's following them around!" Milord said indignantly. A long and awkward silence followed this remark. Only the sound of the clock could be heard.

"That's your job, Tamaki. Bugging people," Kyoya muttered. "If i take a part in this stupid stunt, then I might disrupt the job that you do so well. Good luck." Milord stuck his tongue out at Kyoya.

"CLACKY TRAN! YOU ARE A MEANIE PANINI! YEAH, I JUST CALLED YOU AN ITALIAN SANDWICH! YO MAMA IS ONE, TOO!" He glowered at Kyoya, who didn't seem fazed at all, before tuning to us. "Well, I guess I'm stuck with you two. PLEASE HELP ME!!!" Milord begged.

"Mini conference!" Hikaru shouted, and the two of us put our heads together away from Tamaki. Truthfully, we both knew our answer was yes. We just made sketchy whispering sounds just to bug Milord. After about five minutes, we turned back to an impatient Tamaki and nodded.

"Yay! You guys said yes!! Bravo! Hikaru! Bravo! Kaoru! Mon ami! Mon ami! Yahoo!" Milord was jumping and shouting this with an extremely spazzy look on his face. Sort of like this: 8D

Later (as in a few days later)...

"So, who is our first stalking victim?" Hikaru squawked. The three of us found ouselves in the midst of a commoner shopping district, swaring with people and

"Well, the first person we **FOLLOW AROUND** is someone we think is a commoner!!" Milord shouted. Many people heard this rude remark and gave us dirty looks in our direction. Sighing at the same time, Hikaru and I turned away from Milord and scanned the crowd for someone to **STALK**, ignoring all the glares and scowls. Within a few minutes, we turned back to him.

"Milord… They all look like commoners…" Hikaru muttered.

"Then chose a random one to follow around!" Milord retorted back. We finally agreed on a boy who looked no more than 2 or 3 years older than us. He was holding an apron, and looked as if he were returning from some sort of job. We followed him at a careful distance, not too close yet not too far. We were close enough so we couldn't lose sight of him, but far away enough so he didn't suspect anything. About twenty minutes later, he reached an apartment thing similar to what Haruhi lived in.

"Should we stop following this guy? We can't really walk into his house..." I said, while Hikaru murmured assent. Tamaki sighed and nodded, although he honestly looked as if he wanted to go into that guy's house. When we finally dragged him away, we searched for another commoner. It took me minute to realize that I'd been cured of my mini depression (well, that's really exaggerated... how about... slump? Alright then, slump...). I was feeling like my normal self again (which is kind of scary, since I'm basically saying that stalking people is my natural high... but that's not what I mean because I'M NOT A STALKER! Umm... I'm going to stop wasting time on telling you about my emotions and get back to the story, because you are all probably bored to tears right now... XD)

Our next commoner was a woman in he mid-forties. Then a five or six year old girl. Basically, for all the commoners we stalked, we just followed them to their homes. Some of them made side stops at grocery markets and dry cleaners, but most of them went straight on. By six o' clock, we were all exhausted and had stalked at least 20 people.

"Well, shall we stop? I will admit, although this isn't one of my best ideas, we did learn many things about the commoner life style. Like, how they don't carry around 20 million yen with them? Who knew?" Tamaki said. Hikaru and I exchanged a glance.

"Yeah... We're all tired, and you're talking more nonsense than usual. We don't do that, either," I said, speaking slowly on purpose.

"Wait! I see one more person to STALK!!!" Hikaru said, turning to Tamaki expectantly, but Tamaki wasn't fazed at all.

"Yeah, I'm not even going to deny it anymore..." Tamaki smiled while saying this. "Okay, Hikaru, who is it?"

"That girl! Right there! She looks suspicious, as if she has to go somewhere sketchy... Let's see where she has to go... heh heh heh..." Our final commoner had shoulder length brown hair and a slender frame. The three of us beamed at each other for a while before setting off behind her. We started off at our usual cautious pace, not too close yet not too far. But, gradually, we got closer and closer, until we were practically breathing down her neck. When she finally turned around, the three of us knew exactly who this was. I knew the minute I looked into her eyes... the brilliant turquoise blue... Amaya...

"May I ask what you're doing?" She asked quietly, showing a totally blank expression. She didn't look angry or upset... not yet, anyways...

"Surprise?" Hikaru said half heartedly, waving his arms once before letting the fall to his side. An awkward silence filled the air. After a few minutes, Tamaki sighed and launched into a long and overly detailed explaination about everything that had happened. It was at this precise moment that I noticed that I was blushing. This morning I was excited to be stalking commoners. But now, I was just embarrassed by all the trouble we had cause. Wait, what rubbish was I just thinking? Really what trouble did we cause? Just following people around and having ONE of them notice? We've been caught for things that were much worse, so why did this bother me so much now?

"We're very sorry for all the trouble we caused," Tamaki said, although he was smiling.

"It's fine... In ten years we'll just look back on this and laugh... See you around," Amaya said. Milord walked away, but Hikaru gave her a mischievous grin.

"We've been doing this all day... It's actually kinda funny. Sorry about right now, though..." he murmured, still smiling. That was a good way to look at this, to laugh about it now rather than later. By the time all eyes were on my face, all traces of red had been erased and I was beaming.

"Yup, that's us! Bother people, but make happy endings!" I chriped. Hikaru and I burst into gales of laughter, and I could swear I saw a smile on Amaya's face. After exchanging quick goodbyes, we went our seperate ways. By the time Hikaru and I had reached Tamaki, he was smiling too.

"Should we go home, or do you want to stalk Kyoya first?" The three of us burst into laughter at the hilarity of the whole situation. but, Hikaru and I stopped quickly.

"Over my dead body. What did I tell you, Tamaki??" Kyouya snarled in Tamaki's ear. with a bloodcurdling scream, Tamaki ran in a random direction, screaming and crying all the way. Pulling out a long sandwich, Kyoya took after him, screaming, "WHO'S THE CLACK TRAN PANINI NOW?!?!"


	3. An Unexpected Turn Of Events

**Sakura Hopes Pt. 3:**

**Misinterpretations and a Stupid Bush  
**

Warning: I don't own Ouran or any other allusions mentioned in this story!

AN: This is continued from the last few parts, so read chapters 1 and 2 before reading this.

Hikaru's POV

_"Don't worry, Hikaru," Kaoru mumbled, smiling quietly. "I'll catch up with you in a moment. I just need another minute to copy down the homework and such."_ Kaoru had said this only a few minutes before, but it felt as if I heard these words eternities ago. I walked slowly down the long hall towards the 3rd Music Room, looking over my shoulder every few seconds. Kaoru wasn't following me. I began to wonder why he wanted to stay back. If he had wanted the homework assignment, why couldn't I tell him what it was, since I had it written down? And I could have waited for him, too. Why was he so set on being alone? Well, not alone, really, since other people were there, too.

When I reached the elaborate double doors, I hesitated for a moment. This was the first time I was opening these doors without Kaoru. My first time opening them alone. Without my twin. My other half. I sighed, trying to lift my hand and pull the doors open. But, no matter how hard I tried, my fingers wouldn't close around the handle.

Kaoru's POV

Amaya was the only other person in the almost deserted classroom besides me. Shoving the last book in my bag, I felt obligated to speak to her before I bolted out the door. I lifted my eyes slightly to try and catch her eyes. She met my gaze for a moment, her bright blue eyes unable to reveal her emotions. I shot a grin in her direction, hoping that she wasn't upset about what happened a few days ago (AN: Read Chapter 2!!! I rewrote it... And Chapter 1 too! I would really appreciate it if they were read first. Thank you! XD). Amaya hesitated, but returned a small, quiet smile. The purity behind that smile forced all the words I wanted to say to fly out of my mouth, but my articulation was less than perfect.

"Amaya..." I murmured slowly. She turned to meet my eyes once more, but before I could continue, Hikaru bolted into the room. He looked at me, then looked at Amaya. A long, awkward silence followed his entrance. After a few moments, Hikaru walked over to his desk and grabbed his pencil case. I slung my bag over my shoulder, sighing as I did so. Suddenly, Hikaru whirled around to face me, grinning.

"Hey, Kaoru!! Don't forget, we have to get to the club today!" He said amiably.

"Oh, yeah! Sorry, I forgot! Let's get going," I said, smiling back. Stopping for a second, I turned to look at Amaya and said, "I'll talk to you later." She nodded, looking puzzled. With that, Hikaru and I left the classroom quickly. Within moments, we were at the #rd Music Room. While opening the doors, I quickly remembered something. I thought it was rude to leave Amaya like that. I wanted to go back and say something, anything more to her. But I couldn't think of what to say to her. Suddenly, as the wide double doors flew open, the perfect words sprung into my head.

"Hikaru, I'm really sorry... I forgot something in the classroom. I'll be right back!" I said, turning around before Hikaru's rough voice stopped me.

"Oh, okay. What did you forget?" He asked innocently. I smiled in his direction, knowing I couldn't tell him about Amaya without him making wrong assumptions. I scrambled for a believable alibi as I responded.

"Oh... well... nothing really... just my... umm.... advanced olfactory knowledge on botany textbook? I really need that for my homework tonight..." Without waiting for Hikaru to give an answer, I rushed off to the classroom (A/N: I just want to make it clear that Kaoru doesn't own an advanced olfactory knowledge on botany the way, olfactory means "having to do with the sense of smell. Like how oral has to do with the mouth). After a moment I looked back, and the hallway was empty. I rushed in the door of the 1-A classroom, panting inaudibly. Amaya was still there, but instead of packing up, she was sitting at one of the desks, looking out at the beautiful Ouran campus. The sunlight illuminated her light brown hair, and her ocean blue eyes were calm and placid. Neither happiness nor sadness was reflected on her face. I sighed loudly, and she immediately spun around to meet my eyes. She looked startled at first, but then her expression turned blase once more.

"Didn't you have to go to your host club meeting?" Amaya asked. I sighed again, still panting for air. Her eyebrows raised in curiosity, but she still looked very indifferent.

"Well, I felt it was rude for me to leave you hanging on like that. You know... because i had to tell you something..." I said quickly, still out of breath. Amaya didn't say anything, so I continued after a short pause. "Anyways, I just... um... wanted to ask if... we could be friends? You know, I just wanted to be sure if we were on good terms... you know... after the thing a few days ago..." I trailed off, because Amaya's face had become a sun that emanated rays of excitement and ecstasy. This was the first time I had seen her so happy. Normally, she seemed out of place and overly shy in the classroom, always doing schoolwork, never talking to other people. That was probably what had caused her to become such a huge target for teasing.

"Wow... really?? This is fantastic!! This is the first time someone has said that to me at this school... and you don't have to worry about that day. I don't really care about that anymore, really..." Amaya trailed off, the placidity returning to her face, but hope was prominently seen in her eyes, too. "You know Kaoru... I would love that. Thank you," she said quietly, but there was a new brightness to her smile that I had never seen before. And for the first time, I felt like I was seeing the true Amaya.

Hikaru's POV

I watched Kaoru run down the hallway after giving me a transparent excuse. I sighed, and walked through the already open doors of the 3rd Music Room. Everyone was already there, but they were all sitting in a corner, looking utterly frightened. I looked around, but Tamaki was nowhere to be found.

"Hey guys, you look off the chain, insane!!" I said, grinning mischievously at my bad joke. Haruhi suddenly screamed at me, "Hikaru!! Look up, to your left!!! In the corner..." I turned slowly to the left corner on the ceiling, and there was a rabid looking Tamaki, growling and foaming at the mouth, looking incredibly ferocious. He leaped at me from his Spider man position on the wall, landed on my back in a piggy back position, and bit me on the head while shrieking. The foam seeped into my hair, and the intense terror of this thing on my head had me shaking violently.

"HIKARU!!!! WHY ARE YOU LATE FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A ROW!?!? YOU LITTLE &#$*ING SON OF A &$&#*!!! A FAILURE FOR OUR HOST CLUB!!! 30 MINUTES LATE!!! OMIGOD DO YOU SEE WHAT I HAD TO DO TO THE OTHER MEMBERS?!? I SCARRED THEM FOR LIFE BECAUSE YOU AND KAORU WERE LATE!!!!" Tamaki paused for a moment to look around for Kaoru. His face became more enraged. "WHERE IS YOUR GOOD FOR NOTHING WEAK LOSER BROTHER!?!? BECAUSE HE WON'T HAVE A SPINE WHEN I'M THROUGH WITH HIM!!!" I finally stopped shaking enough to shove Tamaki to the ground, panting and absolutely scarred for life.

"Milord... do you really have rabies??" I asked in shock. Tamaki smiled calmly and shook his head. "This is all soap. Don't worry," He said, wiping his mouth. The rest of the host club, myself included, gaped at Tamaki due to his unexplainable behavior. He seemed to understand our appalled looks and sighed. "All right, all right... I only acted like that because I wanted to scare you into being here on time... dramatically. So, i felt that acting like I had rabies and biting you on the head like a sick animal was the best way to shock you into it. But, I do think that swearing at you and insulting you guys for such a small thing was inexcusable... I'm sorry, Hikaru," Tamaki said. "By the way, where is Kaoru?"

"Well, that's kind of what I want to talk to you guys about…" I murmured quietly, looking at everyone. "Well, I have a few pieces of evidence that lead to a plausible conclusion about Kaoru and Amaya-" I started before Kyoya interrupted me by saying, "Kaoru likes Amaya, doesn't he?" I stammered, making incomprehensible sounds, and unable to fathom how Kyoya had come to that conclusion. "How did you know?" I finally was able to get out. Kyoya just smiled and looked back to his computer screen. I sighed, knowing that I would have to explain.

"Okay, well... remember when we were stalking commoners, Tamaki?" He nodded quickly, while Haruhi gave me a look that said, 'I can't believe you actually went through with that'.

"And remember when we actually stalked Amaya without meaning to? Well, I thought I saw Kaoru blushing. It was only for a second, but it was enough to make me suspicious." I said, with everyone else hanging on to my every word.

"Then, he said he needed to stay back in the classroom to 'write down the homework assignment'. When I was halfway to the club room, I wondered why he didn't just ask me for the homework assignment? I mean, basically, he's saying he'd rather take the not-so-easy way out of this. I had forgot something in the classroom as well, but when i got there, Kaoru and Amaya were the only people in the room... and they were TALKING." Tamaki and Hunny gasped when I said this.

"... Hikaru... how could this happen??" Tamaki asked, dumbfounded. I held my hand up to stop him, for I had one last piece of information.

"That's not all!! So, when we opened the doors of the host club together, he started looking nervous. Then he suddenly said, 'Hey dude, sorry, but I forgot something. I'll be right back'. So I say, 'Okay, what is it?' and he says 'oh ummm... i need my advanced olfactory knowledge on botany textbook' and ran off. If I didn't know any better, I'd have bought his lame alibi.. But I really think he was going to say something else to Amaya. Because there is no advanced botany olfactory whatever textbook." I stopped, finally finished. The evidence was foolproof and in the stone, leading up to only one logical conclusion. Tamaki was wide-eyed, as if the news still hadn't sunk in.

"This is serious... Hikaru, you know what we need to do, right?" I shook my head, because all I could think of was letting a pack of rabid dogs chase him. Tamaki placed his hand on my shoulder, looking incredibly serious, and I thought that maybe, just maybe, he would finally have a great idea. He looked me in the eye and said, "We need to... SET THEM UP!!! HA HA!!"

"What's with the weird laughing??" All of us whirled around to see Kaoru at the doorway. His eyebrows were arched in a suspicious manner. "If I didn't know any better, then I would have thought it was Nekozawa." Suddenly, Tamaki leaped on Kaoru's back just the way he did to me, his mouth foaming with soap again, and screaming about him being late.

"YOU ARE GOING TO LOSE YOUR ENTIRE LIFE TO ME IF YOU ARE LATE AGAIN!!! MUWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" Tamaki shrieked. He hopped back to the ground, wiped the foam from his mouth, and smiled in the cutest way possible. I think he was trying to do a Hunny impression, but there was no way to be sure (it was overly cute in a Tamaki-like way). "Now, I need you to go to the Black Magic Club and steal Beelzenef for me, Kaoru-chan~! Don't worry, it's only your punishment for being late. Oh, and if you could take you time going there, that would be perfect!! Come back alive, okay? Bye now, and don't disobey your wonderful and beautiful King~!" Tamaki said, deaf to Kaoru's stammers, and pushed him out of the room. He turned back to us, his momentarily adorable face turned absolutely serious.

"Alright... so now what?" He asked, turning to the rest of us. Only Hunny, Mori and I seemed to be listening intently. Kyoya was looking at his laptop screen, while Haruhi looked as if something was troubling her. Finally, after long agonizing minutes of silence, she piped up.

"Is all of this nonsense really essential?" Haruhi said, her eyebrows creasing in worry. I glanced at her skeptically, while Tamaki just looked confused. But it was Hunny who asked the question that was on all of our minds.

"What do you mean, Haru-chan?" Hunny asked, his chocolate brown eyes wide and innocent.

"Hikaru, no offense, but your so-called evidence means nothing. This is absolutely pointless! All of that only proves that the two of them might want to be friends, and nothing more. Trust me, I know Amaya, and I know Kaoru, and that's all it seems like and it's probably all they want. And, even if the unlikely chance that they do like each other is proven true, then you aren't respecting their feelings by pushing them toward this. All you're going to do is make them uncomfortable, and probably ruin any chance of them being just friends!!" Haruhi exclaimed, her face flushed from fury. I couldn't understand where all of this pent up anger was coming from. Haruhi was the calmest person I knew, and I'd never seen her express this much anger ever. Tamaki stared at her for another moment, then turned around to face Hunny and I.

"Okay, guys, so about our plan..." he continued as if Haruhi hadn't spoken. My eyebrows arched up in shock. Normally, Tamaki would never be this indifferent to Haruhi. He would either go sulk because she wasn't supporting him or whatever other pathetic nonsense. But this was almost worse, almost mean. It was as if someone had switched their personalities: suddenly Tamaki was being indifferent to Haruhi, and she was reacting to his apathy right now. Death glares were being shot at Tamaki's back as Haruhi's rage went up a level.

"_How could you just ignore everything I just said!?_ I really think you should listen to me, because I was _absolutely _ serious!! These are our friends, so what favor are you doing them by just going against their own will and making them become a couple!?" Haruhi shouted, angrier than before.

"Haruhi, if you don't agree with this, then stay out of it. It's not any of your business. Just shut up, and deal with it. I know Kaoru more than you do, and while you might know Amaya best, I know enough. And I know how to deal with relationship situations. Sometimes, you need to push people to show them how they feel. And I doubt we're wrong, because Hikaru's evidence seems solid to me," Tamaki snapped coldly, a icy glare on his normally bright face. Haruhi's heated scowl turned into a reflection of Tamaki's frozen glower.

"You know nothing about Amaya if you think this is what she's going to be happy with," she said icily, turning as if to leave. But she didn't even reach the doors before Tamaki called out, "I hope you're happy! I'm going to ask Kyoya to increase your debt." The doors slammed with a final slam, and the room was filled with an intense silence for several long moments. Hunny was starting to look more resolute.

"Tama-chan, I don't really think that we're technically making them unhappy by doing this. Maybe we could be right, and maybe we could be wrong, because Hika-chan's proof can lead either way. Ama-chan and Kao-chan might want to be friends, or they could want something more than that, but we should be supportive of them whichever way it goes. We're all friends, right?" Hunny beamed sweetly, and I couldn't help but feel the need to hug him. He has some sort of gift for saying what people need to hear the most. And that was what I felt I needed to hear the most. I was beginning to doubt this plan, too, but Hunny just made me feel more committed than before. Even Tamaki's face softened up to hears Hunny's kind words. I opened my arms and bent over to hug Hunny in a swift, fluid motion. And I thought I felt Tamaki join the embrace as well.

One Hour Later (Hikaru's POV)

"Okay, so is everyone clear on the plan so far?" Tamaki asked. We had canceled club activities for today because Haruhi had left and we needed to work on this plan. So far, Hunny, Tamaki and I were the only ones willing to participate. Mori couldn't join in because of kendo practice, and Kyoya just didn't want to partake in this "stupid move on the chessboard of life" as he called it. So, I would ask Kaoru to get something for me from a commoner's gsupermarket. Hunny would accompany Amaya to the same grocery store, and disappear. Tamaki would provide means of hiding so we could watch from afar. He also said that he would bring something else to "speed things along if it got boring". I was slightly worried about this part, but I decided to shrug it off. By now, Tamaki had returned to his normal, narcissistic, idiotic self. Although, I had to admit, when it came to plotting deviously, he was pretty clever. He came up with most of this entire plan.

"Yup! It's all good, Tama-chan! See you two on Sunday!" Hunny exclaimed. I nodded assent to Tamaki's question without a word, enthusiastic and excited for Sunday to arrive. By this time, we had to leave, so we all left. Right before I opened the doors to leave I remembered a crucial piece of information.

Kaoru had never returned from Nekozawa's Black Magic Club.

Just as I was about to freak out and hyperventilate, Kaoru walks up behind us and says, "Hey guys. How's it going?" I almost jumped out of my skin in terror. He raised and eyebrow suspiciously and continues, "Sorry it took so long. Nekozawa insisted on showing me every piece of merchandise he was selling. Oh, and they caught me before I even walked in, so I couldn't steal the actual Beelzenef for you, Tamaki. Sorry, but they were giving out free plush immitations!" He held one up and pulled the sting attached to it. The frightening stuffed animal suddenly sang a menacingly sweet and fluffy version of "Pop Goes The Weasel". Tamaki screamed and hugged his stuffed bear, which is always in his backpack, possessively out of fear.

"THAT THING WILL NEVER TOUCH MY KUMA-CHAN!!! NEVER!!" And with that, he ran out of the building with the speed of a racing bullet.

Sunday (Hikaru's POV)

"Oh, Kaoru! I need you to get something from that commoner grocery store. Will you go? Here, I'll come with you!" I said urgently, almost desperately. Kaoru was slightly skeptical, but he followed along without complaint as I struggled with much difficulty to hide the grin creeping onto my face. When we arrived, I told him I needed the sesame seed soy ginger vigarette salad dressing and told him it was in the ginger aisle. Of course, I did't really know if it was there or not, but that's where Hunny told me to have him go.

"Okay, I got to go and get something else. Bye!!" I said, and walked off quickly before Kaoru could say another word. Now I had to look around for Tamaki. I scanned the aisles, but I knew immediately when I'd found him. In the midst of confusion and crowds of the commoners was a large, incredibly conspicuous bright green bush spotted with bright red roses. And, peeking just above the bush was a clump of smooth blond hair. I shot extreeme death glares at the bush. The clump of hair raised ever so slightly so a pair of recognizeable, sketchy violet eyes were seen above the bush. My eyebrows were raised in sarcasm, and I crossed my arms to show my irritation.

"Hikaru! Over here!" I sighed, and walked over to the stupid bush. So _this_ is what he meant when he said he would "provide means of hiding". I thought he would do a better job, but I shouldn't have expected so much from the boy who wanted us to dress up like women to show Haruhi how much we were like the Zuka Club (AN: reference to episode 9 of Ouran... insanely funny!!).

"Can you be anymore obvious???" I whispered. Tamaki looked back at me with surprise. It was clear he thought he had outdone himself by using this ridiculous bush. I rolled my eyes, and crouched down next to him behind the shrub.

"What are you talking about? I had to remove this bush out of the park and lug the stupid thing five blocks to get here!! And I got yelled at by a park supervisor and had to charm him with my beauty and charm so I could keep the thing! If you don't appreciate that then... never mind. Anyways, it's the most perfect hiding thing ever known to man! Besides, it doesn't matter, as long as they don't see us. It blends right in," Tamaki whispered, and sounded more full of himself than ever. I was about to tell him how conspicuous it was and how I could see it from the other side of the store when Hunny bounded over to us happily.

"Okay, guys! I got her over there, and I think they saw each other! But Tama-chan... this isn't the best hiding place... I could see it from the other side of the store," Hunny said, looking at the bush doubtfully.

"I was about to say the exact same thing..." I murmured. Tamaki glared at both of us, but his curiosity about what they were saying kept him from admonishing us harshly. This was a good spot, because we could see everything they did without them noticing us. At first, they were both quiet, both too shy to make the first move. Amaya mainly twirled a lock of her shinning brown hair, while Kaoru seemed to be trying to avoid her glance. I could hardly see what Haruhi was talking about yesterday. My evidence clearly showed that they were in love, but they just didn't know it yet. Or did it? Because, their conversation mainly involved food.

"Hey, which brand of salad dressing should I get? I don't even see it here..." Kaoru said looking puzzled. They were staring at ginger, which was the only thing in the ginger aisle. Wow, these commoners were so complicated that it was almost insane. Amaya quietly offered to show him where it was, and they left. I glared at Tamaki again. Tamaki rolled his eyes at my irritated expression, and the three of us moved the bush while still hiding behind it. We found Amaya and Kaoru in the salad dressing aisle. How many rows were there? And why did they have to be so freaking specific. As we watched them, their body language and words didn't show anything like I had thought. They only talked about food, debating brands and flavors the entire time. I felt that now, after hearing Haruhi say that they might just want to be friends, I might have been misinterpreting the signs. Honestly, I doubt Kaoru would be looking for something more than friendship with this girl. From what little I knew about Amaya, I could guess she wanted the same thing.

I glanced at Tamaki, who looked as if he were bored to tears. His deep purple eyes were half closed, and he looked as if all the fun had been sucked out of this already. Sighing, he plucked a rose from the shrub and began to eat it. Hunny had abandoned us a while ago to buy cake. He was voraciously eating it beside us now, muttering about how much better strawberries tasted here rather than anywhere else. About to stand up, I gradually straightened up. Just before I had let my entire head become visible, Tamaki grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back into a crouching position.

"This. Is. Too. Slow. We need to heat things up," Tamaki looked at me and smiled crazily. Eyebrows pulled together, I felt very skeptical of what he was going to do next. Tamaki said that he would do two things, 1) Bring a hiding spot, or the bush, and 2) Bring something to speed things up. Tamaki pulled a small, shiny pebble from his pocket. It was barely large enough to hurt anyone drastically, but I was still wary of the idea. I held Tamaki's arm back while Hunny tried to take the pebble.

"Tama-chan, this isn't the best idea in public! You could hurt someone, and we could get in big trouble. Besides, if it hit's either one of them, they'll turn around, see the bush and know it was us!" Tamaki ignored the urgent whisper from Hunny. He shook my arm off gently, in utter silence for once. There was a pause, dramatic tension building up. Tamaki drew his arm back, eyebrows knitted in concentration.

"Starlight throw!" He whispered loudly, and released the small rock. The pebble soared through the air, over the heads of many people.. Finally, it flew a fraction of an inch above Kaoru's shoulder, and went out of sight. For a moment, neither Tamaki nor Hunny nor I said a word. Then, after that, Tamaki went to sit in the corner, bringing the bush with him, and left Hunny and me alone.

"If you need me, I'm in my corner! Where I will be for the rest of my life," Tamaki sighed, a forlorn looked shadowing his dejected face. Suddenly, an old lady came and hit him with her cane because she needed the cheese that Tamaki was blocking. Tamaki left the supermarket in a hurry after that and the entire store seemed to be much calmer.

"I'm so glad he missed them! It would have been horrible if someone got hit with that pebble," I exclaimed out of the blue. Hunny nodded vigorously in agreement. His deep brown eyes were shining from excitement.

"At least no one got hurt, right?" Hunny asked, looking on the positive side of things as usual. I murmured quietly in consent. With that, we walked off, leaving Tamaki in his corner with his bush. For a moment, I wanted to set the bush on fire, just to show how stupid I thought it was. Chuckling at the ridiculous idea, I knew it was nothing more than a unrealistic fantasy.

I realized now that Haruhi probably was right. Because I knew Kaoru more than anyone else. He and I both had rejected many other girls, girls much prettier and more charming than she was. Amaya was probably the smartest one, and I know that would make either of us want to be friends with her. But I truly don't think he knows her enough to have special feelings for her yet. Also, I think I know why Haruhi was so upset the other day in the host club. She cares for Amaya, and she knows her better than anyone else that I know of. Haruhi didn't want us to make her unhappy, which explains a lot. I sighed, knowing one thing about her outburst. I could never truly hate someone who went for such lengths to save a person they love and care about from harm.

Fifteen Minutes Later (Hikaru's POV)

Kaoru and I walked quietly home from the commoner's supermarket. It had been a long day, and I needed to stretch from crouching behind that bush. Wind blowing furiously, I pushed my bangs from my eyes, and looked at Kaoru. His face displayed no emotion, no certain expression at all. Kaoru had been incredibly silent ever since we left the store. Slightly apprehensive, I highly doubted that he noticed us at all. Suddenly, he murmured something under his breath, too low for me to hear.

"Sorry, Kaoru. What did you say?" I asked quietly, my nervousness building up gradually. Kaoru looked at me, his face still expressionless before he spoke in a very quiet tone.

"You really think we didn't notice you guys following us, huh?" Kaoru said almost inaudibly. I screamed and jumped in utter shock. Shuddering violently, I felt as if my knees would give out any second.

"A-are you r-really serious... I have no idea what you're talking abou... heh heh heh..." I stammered. Looking at Kaoru again, I noticed a change in his expression. He looked as if he were holding back a laugh. "Wait... Kaoru..." I murmured before he burst out in hysterical laughter. Having to hold onto a railing on the side of the road to support the instant relief I was feeling, I started cracking up, too. Kaoru's knees gave out quickly, and I was slamming my hand into the railing with utter ecstasy. Finally, after several minutes, we both calmed down enough to speak again.

"I was just joking, Hikaru. I knew you wouldn't stoop that low. Besides, that's more like something Milord would do," Kaoru said, wiping his eyes and standing up now. I laughed again, linked my arm through my twin's, and we both walked home happily.


	4. The What Happened To Kyoya Game!

**Sakura Hopes Chapter 4**

**The What Happened To Kyoya Game!**

Warning: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club or any allusions mentioned in this story. I do own the character of Amaya.

Please read the first three chapters before reading this one. Thank you!

* * *

Haruhi's POV

Why do I find it necessary to go back to a place filled with insane people who are obsessed with meddling with other's lives? Right, I have to pay off a debt. But, you know that the host club have done especially crazy things. But lately, they've been acting even sketchier. (A/N: If you need a recap or just randomly skipped to this chapter or whatever, please read the first three again! They're a lot better than before. Thank you!) And this might be the most idiotic thing yet.

Clouds? None. Rain? Plenty. The roar of thunder crashed behind us as we sat in the 3rd Music Room. Everything seemed to be normal. Hunny was eating cake with Mori, the twins were bothering Tamaki, who was in his little dream world, and I, being the only productive one here, was doing my homework to lighten the load that was given to us tonight. It might have been a better and relatively calm day... if Kyoya hadn't come in.

Before I saw Kyoya, I expected to see him walking in with a serious expression and setting his laptop down to type, just like every other day. But every single person in the host club was equally shocked when we saw him acting… differently. And by differently, I mean skipping into the room with a goofy simper plastered on his face while humming a upbeat and fluffy tune.

This was Kyoya the Shadow King, the one who always increases my debts for no reason. The one who is incredibly cold and mean most of the time. Kyoya can be a nice and pleasant person when he wants to be, but I didn't know he was capable of being like this. This was almost the Anti-Kyoya. All of us had stopped what we were doing, only competent of staring at Kyoya in shock. He seemed oblivious to our shocked expressions, skipped towards the table near the door, and sat at his laptop as if to start typing. I sighed, relived to see that he was doing something in character.

Well, until we heard a strange song coming from the computer. It was the same tune he had been humming before, overly fluffy and cute. Catching a glimpse of the laptop's screen, I could make out a pink background decorated with clouds. Kyoya was clicking the mouse rapidly, not using his keyboard at all. My heart began to pound, because the one thing everyone thought would never happen had come true. I was too busy thoroughly pondering this to notice that the rest of the host club had gathered in Tamaki's special corner. Looking back at Kyoya once more uncertainly, I went to join them quietly.

"All right, what the fish is going on? Someone needs to figure out what happened to Kyoya!!" Tamaki said urgently (A/N: "what the fish" is my little catchphrase. I thought it'd be funny if Tamaki said it because it was very... unpredictable...). The twins shrugged simultaneously, while Hunny and Mori shook their heads. I was slightly more worried, since I had hoped for some answers. Tamaki suddenly looked very pleased with himself, and I creased my eyebrows together in confusion.

"There is only one explanation. Drum roll please!" Tamaki continued in a slightly quieter tone than before. When everyone stared at him in irony, clearly explaining that we wouldn't give him a drum roll, Tamaki sighed and went on with his theory. "Well, fine. Don't help your King. Be that way. Anyways… it is obvious that... Kyoya has become addicted to marijuana!!!" How he can sound so passionate in a whisper, I do not know. "He might have given into peer pressure. You know, someone who works with his father might have forced him or something." The twins were shaking their heads now, obviously unhappy with Tamaki's conclusion.

"No, that couldn't be it. Smoking marijuana can lead to memory loss, severe brain damage, high risk of lung cancer and heart disease, heart and blood pressure changes, and impaired concentration. If he were using marijuana, we would tell because he would have difficulty recalling events, a distinct smell on his clothing, and show decreased levels of performance. " Kaoru said quietly and swiftly. I wondered silently how he knew so much, then remembered that we had discussed it in health class the other day. I smiled to myself quietly at how I thought the twins would be smoking pot. Hikaru continued Kaoru's rationale.

"Kyoya would be experiencing physical as well as emotional issues if he was smoking weed. As these symptoms are not visible to us at all, and some of them would be, he is not using marijuana. The game he was playing on the computer is very popular among our fans currently. Some of them could have asked him to play it, and it must have brainwashed him to be a happy spazzy little freak. _There_ is a logical explanation." Hikaru finished. Both twins grinned and nodded simultaneously, obviously very proud of themselves, while Hunny chimed in, looking skeptical.

"I don't know. If the game is popular among our fans, then how come they aren't acting as weird as Kyo-chan is? No, I think he might be doing this to freak us out for his amusement. It really has freaked us out, and I bet he's just putting up a front to scare us into doing what he wants. He's done that lots of times before, right, Takashi?" Hunny said, while Mori nodded with a small grunt. Suddenly, I felt everyone's eyes on me, so I could deliver my theory on Kyoya' strange behavior.

"Haruhi, since I am your father, I command you to agree with my theory. Why, you ask? Well, because naturally, I am right," Tamaki said, with a small, conceited flip of his hair. Hikaru slapped his shoulder gently to show his irritation while I rolled my eyes in disdain. Sighing, I thought about it for a minute. What would be a motive for Kyoya to do this? Well, his favorite thing in the world is... money. I could almost feel the heat from the imaginary light bulb that just popped up above my head.

"Well, Kyoya's favorite thing in the world is money. Maybe he wants to get more customers and money for the club by switching his personality," I murmured. The stares fixed on me were suddenly shocked. I shrugged nonchalantly. "It's certainly plausible. There's no need to be so shocked."

"That's absurd! Hikaru, Kaoru, what ideas have you been instilling in my poor, sweet daughters head?" Tamaki exclaimed dramatically, coming over to hug my head. I sighed again. I guess he couldn't be dramatic enough while whispering. Even the twins didn't respond to Tamaki's comment. They were pointing behind us. Apparently, even Kyoya couldn't ignore that dramatic outburst from the annoying narcissist. He had already walked right behind Tamaki and me and gave us a sweet smile that still frightens me to this very day.

"Hey guys!! Is everything okay back here? Why did you guys have a secret meeting without me?" Kyoya's voice change made my jaw drop open in shock. It sounded as if he hadn't hit puberty yet, or if he were talking to a small child. Everyone else had backed up on the wall in absolute terror. It took all the energy and willpower I had to shake my head slightly.

"Oh, well too bad. I'll just come next time. I got to go now, anyways! Toodles!~" And with that, Kyoya skipped off and out of the 3rd Music Room. For several long moments that felt like an eternity, we stayed there backed against the wall, jaws unable to close. Then, before all pandemonium broke loose, the twins started to grin mischievously. The same grin that often made me feel slightly nauseous, because I knew it involved some sort of stupid, idiotic plan.

"Hey, why don't we all have a little contest? Just for fun?" The twins said in unison, while Tamaki looked at them nervously. I must have looked nervous, too, because these little contests never turn out well. I swallowed my qualms and decided to just go along with it this time. It couldn't be too awful.

"What kind of game? I am intrigued by your offer. Oh, ho ho!!" He raised an eyebrow, and rested his chin in between his thumb and index finger while throwing in a sketchy laugh that seemed to be a cross of Santa Claus and Light Yagami (A/N Death Note reference: Light has a very crazed and maniacal laugh. It's all over Youtube).

"The Which One Can… Find The Reason Why… Kyoya Is Being… Weird… And Sketchy... Game… yeah, okay! That's not so bad, right, Hikaru... ?" Kaoru said, trailing off at the end when he saw Hikaru's exasperated expression. Kaoru's face fell just vaguely while Hikaru sighed.

"This is why I come up with the names and not you…" He muttered to himself, and whispered something in Kaoru's ear. Kaoru sighed and nodded assent, rolling his eyes when Hikaru wasn't looking. After that, they turned to us and said simultaneously with the utmost enthusiasm, "The 'What Happened To Kyoya Game!'" Tamaki still looked slightly skeptical of their game.

"I'm still not so sure about this one... what are the rules? Or the prizes?" Tamaki said cautiously. The twins grinned, but it wasn't devious at all. I relaxed a little bit, knowing that this contest, unlike many of their other contests, could not fail. Or maybe it could. Then it would be an EPIC FAIL. (A/N: hee hee epic fail XD)

"The objective is to find out why Kyoya is acting like a sketch. The rules are as follows: You aren't allowed to ask Kyoya direct questions about what happened to him, you are only permitted to use yes or no questions, you have to stick to your theory and your theory _only_, and you have to have evidence that you received this information from him. The deadline is three days. Oh, and you can only ask him questions during club hours," Hikaru said in a challenging tone.

"Are there amazing and fantastical prizes for _moi_?" Tamaki ventured further. Now looking quite interested, Tamaki already seemed to be forming questions for Kyoya in his head. An egotistic look on his face, Tamaki made it very obvious that he thought he would win.

"The glory of beating the rest of us," Kaoru replied. "Oh, and an American CD," he added quickly. The twins exchanged a meaningful look when Kaoru mentioned the CD. I wondered why, and how good that CD was, but I shrugged it off. I doubted I would actually win anyways. "Although I wouldn't say they are for you..." I heard Hikaru mutter under his breath.

"I accept!!" Tamaki said vibrantly, his eyes shining with the new found excitement in a challenge. I sighed again for the umpteenth time. I really didn't want to do this right now... I had too much homework and still looking for part-time work to do on weekends to worry about Kyoya's little behavior change. If they noticed a small change in his personality, then there was no need to bombard Kyoya with questions. It's none of their business anyways, and the host club should just give Kyoya some space to deal with this. Thinking about it now made me change my mind about the contest.

"Forget it. There's no way I'm doing this," I muttered gruffly. Everyone turned to look at me in shock for the second time today. Tamaki started to tear up, but I knew by now that he could cry at will.

"What? But Haruhiiiii… if you don't join in, then I'll be sad…" Tamaki said, trying to give me his puppy eyes. Fortunately, after much training, I'd learned to withstand their manipulative power. Glaring, I had become more than slightly irritated with Tamaki's fake helplessness.

"Don't care." I snapped coldly. Tamaki stared at me silently, and went to cry in his corner. He sat in that corner so often, that the twins once decided to had hang a red sign that read "Tamaki's Depressed Corner. WARNING: Anyone else besides Tamaki Suoh who uses this corner will experience possible injury, permanent scars, hospitalization, and maybe death. Don't underestimate the power of the corner." It was hilarious at the time, but after a while everyone found how incredibly fitting it was.

"Haru-chan? What if you were a referee? You know, make sure everyone plays fair? We need evidence that Kyoya verified our theory, so you could be a witness for us," Hunny said, giving a meaningful look at the twins and Tamaki as if to tell them to follow his example.

"That's true... you're honest... more honest and calm than anyone that I know," Hikaru added, obviously caught off guard a bit. I thought I caught the faintest sign of a blush on his face.

"You're a perfect choice for that role, Haruhi…" Tamaki said, still sounding tearful and in his corner. "It's okay if your theory sucks. We all know you wouldn't have won anyways." This annoyed me, because I knew that my theory was more possible than marijuana or brainwashing. Hunny's could be true, because it also fit with Kyoya's character, but I felt as if I had the best one. Knowing that I would have to be a witness, I ignored my irritation and exhaled.

"Fine. But only if it happens during club hours. And I'm not going to stand next to Kyoya all day. You're going to have to make sure I'm nearby, then ask your questions. Okay?" I mumbled, not happy about having to do this. The five people in front of me nodded vigorously. Tamaki had left his corner when he heard that I was going to take some part in the game.

"All right then!! So... let's commence our procedure... NOW!!" Tamaki proclaimed. No one moved at all, since Kyoya had already left. "Er... how about tomorrow then?" Tamaki suggested awkwardly, while the rest of us murmured in agreement.

Three Days Later (Haruhi's POV)

"Haru-chan!! Is Kyo-chan here?" Hunny asked as he burst into the room, holding his bunny, while Mori trailed behind him. I looked up from my work, and shook my head quietly while Hunny sighed dejectedly. My eyebrows creased together in guilt. I hated to make Hunny disappointed, but there was nothing I could do. Two days had passed since the contest had begum, yet no one had gotten a hold of Kyoya long enough to get any sort of reasonable information. It was the last day to ask questions now, and it was obvious that Kyoya wouldn't answer anything in a way that helped any of us at all. Looks like we might just have to ask him directly at the end of the whole thing, just to know what had happened to him. Also, Kyoya's behavior had become even stranger over the past few days. Not only was he acting overly cute and sweet, but he was trying to get the rest of us to act that way as well. I had to say... it was just plain weird...

"Okay then! I'd better get some cake while I'm waiting for Kyo-chan. Haru-chan, would you like some?" Hunny seemed to have gotten over his disappointment, and I smiled. But suddenly my eyes fell on the ebony and intimidating book, lying untouched on the table. Kyoya's black book. My eyes widened, but I remembered that Hunny was waiting for me to reply.

"Uh... no thanks, Hunny..." I mumbled, my mind dimensions elsewhere. Another object was set next to the book, a silver gleam coming from it. Kyoya's laptop. Kyoya himself was nowhere in sight. Maybe they would both provide some answers to our dilemma. My heart pounded furiously, because I had never hacked into someone's laptop before or looked at someone's personal property. My hands sweating, I looked around the room silently. Hunny and Mori were absorbed in eating cake, and no one else was there. I slowly made my way over to the table, shaking almost violently.

When I was standing next to the two objects, I decided that I would only open one of them. I opened Kyoya's laptop, hands shaking with nervousness. Suddenly, a login box appeared on the screen. The username, KOotori, was already there, but the password was blank. Oh crap, I had no idea what Kyoya of all people would put in for a password! In a panic, I quickly typed in 'money' without thinking, but it didn't work. Panicking now, I couldn't think of anything else besides "i eat money", so, naturally, I typed it in. Suddenly, the box disappeared, and I was on his desktop. Wow, was that it? Either Kyoya is really bad at coming up with passwords, or I''m a better computer hacker than I thought. Thinking it over, I realized that he chose a password that was so stupid that no one would guess it. Honestly, I doubt anyone would think of "i eat money". Relieved at my good luck, I clicked on the Mail icon. The screen suddenly filled with Kyoya's email box, but I felt a sudden presence behind me.

"Why would you hack into my laptop?" I froze in fear at the sound of the familiar, cold voice, and turned around to see Kyoya, his eyes a black abyss of extreme anger. He glared at me with utmost ferocity, and I felt a small hope that he might be turning back to his regular self, only for it to be crushed with despair as I realized that I would be in a lot of trouble for looking through his emails if he was back to normal. Eyes widened in terror, I realized bitterly the irony of the situation. But before I could decide what to say to Kyoya, the doors flew open with a monumental noise. Standing in the entrance was none other than Tamaki, with an unusually serious expression on his face.

"WHERE IS KYOYA?!" Tamaki exclaimed dramatically, "I need to talk to him! About... _the you-know-what_! Anyways, Kyoya, I must ask you several questions..." Hunny and Mori looked up from their cake abruptly.

"Hey, Tama-chan, that's not fair! Takashi and I were here first, right, Haru-chan?" Hunny said defiantly, looking in my direction. I was about to say that I had wanted no involvement in this conversation, but the twins appeared out of nowhere, also claiming that they needed to talk to Kyoya. Everyone began yelling and shouting at astounding volume levels, arguing over who needed to talk to Kyoya more. The atmosphere was becoming more tense by the moment, and I'd have been happy to be anywhere but there. I couldn't stand all the intense fighting, and as I watched them argue, I was thinking about how stupid this entire thing was to begin with. I admit that I was also freaked out by Kyoya's behavior, but honestly, who wouldn't be? But I wasn't participating in a stupid contest or arguing in the middle of the room over who needs to win a CD more. Totally ridiculous. I regretted even agreeing to be the referee for something so idiotic. At this point, the arguing had ceased to a stop, and everyone was breathing heavily from yelling so much. I glanced at Kyoya, and he was glaring in irritation at them. Although it was good to have the real Kyoya back, I was also relieved that he had momentarily forgotten about the laptop.

"Are you annoying pricks done yet? Or do you want to punch each other for the next twenty minutes?" Everyone stared at Kyoya in awe, not having heard the furious voice of Kyoya in three long days. The music room, filled with noise only a moment ago, was now silent. Suddenly, Tamaki burst into extreme laughter out of disbelief.

"KYOYA'S BACK!!! BRAVO! KYOYA!! MON AMI! MON AMI!! YAHOO!!" Tamaki started rolling on the floor with hysterics. The rest of us looked simply relieved. Kyoya just stared at Tamaki as the narcissist went into melodramatic hysteria. We waited for a minute before Tamaki finally got a grip on himself and stood up.

"All right, lets get the entire story straight. I know what you guys were trying to do, but I am confused as to why," Kyoya said, his black eyes entirely focused on our faces. After we told him our theories and how we were just concerned and wanted to know what was going on with him, he sighed, pushed up his glasses, and looked in his black book. We waited patiently as he took his time in closing it slowly.

"Haruhi, your theory... was absolutely correct." He said. Tamaki stood there with his mouth open, but Kyoya ignored him and continued. "I just wanted to get more customers and money for the club. I'm surprised, I thought it wouldn't have been too hard to guess. But, considering how Tamaki and the twins enjoy making up dramatic fantasies, so I really shouldn't be so shocked,"

"B-B-But how could this be?? My theory was so... awesome!! How could Haruhi's ridiculous theory be true?" Tamaki cried out in utter astonishment (A/N: When I typed in 'awesome', all I could think about was Prussia from APH. Hetalia fans will understand XD). Kyoya flashed him a devous grin and explained his motives quickly. (A/N: I'm sorry for the line break there. I was trying to put it below, but it came here instead and I can't delete it. Again, I'm very, sincerly sorry about this, and I hope it won't happen again!!)

* * *

"The twins were right to some extent as well, since they thought fans had contacted me. Some girls emailed me privately, requesting that one of our members should switch their personalities for a day or two. I knew you guys wouldn't do it, and even if you would, it wouldn't have scared you guys enough unless if I did it. Of course, this also means that Hunny and Mori were right, because my amusement was the reason why I specifically did it. Since I became the Anti-Kyoya, our request rates have all gone up by 64%. Didn't you notice that you had more customers than usual? i especially had more customers, since I was the object of interest. So, mainly, I did it to increase the money and request rates, but it was also for my amusement. Now, will you stop bugging me about this stupid thing? I've had it with you idiots." Kyoya's face was twisted with rage, the fury burning into us as he looked at each person individually. We all nodded vigorously, without complaint. Except for Tamaki, who pointed his index finger into Kyoya's face and shouted, "So, you didn't murder your father's best friend's uncle on his mother's side and get blackmailed by the uncle's girlfriend's aunt's maid?!"

Epilogue (Haruhi's POV)

"Was I really the only person who wasn;t right at all?" Tamaki groaned later, crestfallen. The twins smiled mischeviously. They were really enjoying Tamaki's sorrow.

"Yup, you EPIC FAIL!" Hikaru shouted, and they both laughed while Tamaki ran into his corner. Hikaru suddenly turned towards me, holding out the CD.

"Here, Haruhi! Congratulations!! We have a prize for Hunny and Mori, too," He smiled happily, but I looked at Tamaki, feeling guilty. I walked over to his corner hesitantly and placed the CD next to him.

"Tamaki... you can have the CD. I'm happy with the glory of beating everyone," I said, while Tamaki gazed into my eyes with gratitude. He suddenly hugged me tightly. It took me a moment to return the embrace.

* * *

"HOW COULD YOU AWARD THIS CRAP TO THE WINNERS?? LISTENING TO IT WAS A PUNNISHMENT!!!" Tamaki screamed the next day, glaring at the twins with utmost disgust. They smiled mischievously, obviously trying to hold back hysterical laughter.

"We know it sucks. We planned it so you would get the CD, Tamaki," Hikaru said, while all of us stared at the twins in confusion, "We knew that Kyoya was in the entire thing for the money. But, we didn't use that as our theory, because we wanted to get rid of the stupid thing."

"So, when Haruhi revealed her theory, we knew that she'd be right, give the CD to Tamaki out of guilt, and then we could laugh at your outrage. So, Tamaki, how did you enjoy the Jonas Brothers?" Kaoru finished. I sighed. Of course, behind the huge mystery of Kyoya, the twins were manipulating everything so they could get rid of a CD.

"So you made me endure... that... so you wouldn't have to deal with the wrath of… the Jonas Brothers. AUUGGGHH!! It hurts to say their name!!! I hate them! They're so whiny and pathetic!! They can't even sing for their lives!!! Why?!?!?!" Tamaki screamed in agony, while the twins were laughing uncontrollably. Hunny and Mori smiled to themselves and went back to eating cake using the pastry coupons the twins had given them, while I decided to relfect. True, the host club could be stupid sometimes. But, each new adventure was something to look back on. Something we would laugh at in 10 years. Something we could remember and cherish. Truly, I liked the antics of the host club. They had a special way of making memories.


	5. Never Been Hurt Like This

**Sakura Hopes Pt. 5:**

**Never Been Hurt Like This**

**Warning: I don't own Ouran or any other allusions mentioned in this story!**

**Note: This is continued from the last few parts, so read chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4 before reading this.**

**Note: Most of you know, from my profile, that my ABSOLUTE favorite program is Glee. So, naturally, the title of this chapter is a play on the Glee episode title "Never Been Kissed". Glee belongs to FOX. **

_I just wanted to write a quick shout-out to Suohfangirl, who was an anonymous reviewer on this fanfiction. If you are still reading this, first of all, thanks for reviewing! I really appreciate to feedback a lot. :D Haha just keep in mind I wrote that chapter almost a year ago, so I'm re-reading it now and finding all these errors! Haha! So, about the statement you made about the twins, you are partially right, but all that Kaoru is trying to actually write down the homework assignment (the first time, I mean). I agree that Hikaru's reaction was strange, and if I edit that chapter again, then I'll probably change that so it's more in line with his personality. But, when Kaoru was leaving him to go and apologize to Amaya, he was just trying to pardon his bluntness with her without making Hikaru suspicious. And Hikaru is noticing all of this because he's so in tune with his brother that he knows when he's lying and stuff. And the Tamaki bit, yes, is out of character. But I made him overreact because I wanted to be funny and that was my way of doing it. Besides, it sets a huge contrast to the attitude he shows Kaoru later on in the chapter. _

* * *

Amaya's POV

"She's such a loser."

"I know, right?"

"Does she ever brush her hair? It's so stringy…"

"It's pretty gross, too."

"And the 'shy new-kid' act is getting really old."

I could hear them. Loud and clear, even though they were speaking in whispers. Every mean word, every catty comment dared me to throw a scowl in their direction. I just gritted my teeth and continued to focus on the class work. The teacher had left the room, and I was one of the few people still working. I saw Haruhi also writing furiously, her shoulders hunched as her pencil flew across the page. It's surprising she could tune out everything around her, especially since she was sitting between the twins.

Hikaru was talking to someone in front of him, but Kaoru, being surprisingly quiet, was looking towards the back of the classroom. Towards the girls who were making the snide comments. His gaze then fixed on me, and I decided to let my eyes stray to meet his stare.

Kaoru smiled softly before saying, "Don't worry about what they say. They're just being idiotic."

I smiled in gratitude, happy for the morale boost. It was not easy to keep my confidence and self-esteem up lately. Not with all the crap I was getting. I rolled my eyes and mentally kicked myself for the self-pity. It was stupid to complain, uncharacteristic for me to whine; the matter was out of my control and I was going to let it settle itself.

I opened my mouth to thank Kaoru, but he had joined Hikaru's conversation, leaning back in his chair, so I plunged back into the work.

Soon, too soon as always, class was over. Most people just packed up quickly and rushed out of the classroom, eager to leave and escape to their own social and indulgent lives. It wasn't too long before I was one of the last people there. I normally was one of the last people to leave. There's never a rush for me to go home or to a job, so why not spend the last minutes of the school day leisurely? So, returning to the story, I slowly packed all of my books and pencils neatly into my bag and slung it over my shoulder, about to leave the classroom. The same two girls in the back of the room were also finishing up, whispering audibly. They began to leave, but they slowed to a stop when they passed me. If looks could kill…

"Can I help you guys?" I asked casually, my eyes avoiding their gaze. I was making an effort not to display my anticipation for the worst. The two girls exchanged a knowing glance, as if to imply that I was pathetic in some way. One of them, a tall brunette with murky brown eyes, started talking.

"Listen… let's not waste any time here, okay?" She said, her tone acid with dislike. "We know you're friends with some of the Host Club members. Haruhi… the twins… you know."

"Is there a point to all of this?" I interrupted testily, allowing myself to meet their cold glares. "I though you didn't want to waste any time." The brunette suddeny glared at me with such enormous amounts of intensity. It is near impossible not to flinch under that gaze. My eyes and facial expression must have betrayed my inner terror, because the brunette's expression suddeny changed to a nasty leer.

"Just stay away from them, okay? They're out of your league." She snapped.

"Yeah… just hang out with people of your caliber. Like the stupid imbeciles we call class reps.," The other girl said, who had dark hair and blue eyes. After her comment, both girls began to laugh, erupting into gales of hysterical laughter.

The revelation was dawning on me suddenly. There wasn't any fear left. No sadness, no anger, almost no intense emotion at all. Just a blank feeling of confusion and a huge knot in my stomach. Was that really it? I should have realized sooner… it was so obvious! It was because Haruhi and I were friends… and later the twins… yes… this explains everything…

By the time I snapped back into reality from my own inner turmoil, both girls were at the door and all laughing had ceased. They both stopped momentarily to look back, to see my face livid with realization.

"Hey, it's really simple. Just stay away from the Host Club members, and people will back off. You might actually fit in, make friends," The brunette said casually, "If it were me, what does it matter if you lose a couple of people for a whole crowd of others? Besides, the Host Club has enough friends to go around. They won't really care if you are just… out of the picture." With that, they finally left, leaving me alone in the deserted classroom.

Never have I hated being in a classroom this much. The walls seemed too close together. Each desk, each window, each pencil was too close together. I don't know why I felt so claustrophobic, but there was something about the previous exchange that made the classroom seem too small. I hurried out the door of the classroom, panting heavily. Even the hallways were deserted now. School ended about twenty minutes ago; most people were at home or at clubs or 'studying' (a.k.a. socializing) around now.

I leaned my head against the wall, my eyes closed, feeling frustrated and confused. Which did I cherish and want more? My newly found friends from the Host Cub, or fitting in with my peers and ending the teasing I'd been getting from the beginning of the school year?

I never forgot the feeling I first felt when I entered the Host Club doors. I felt, in the events following the incident with Tamaki, as if I really belonged there. I loved that feeling, and I was sad to let it go. The entire reason I refrained from going to the Host Club in general was so that my being an outsider, not actually one of the group, wouldn't taint that feeling. If I let the Host Club's friendship go, then I might be able to experience that feeling more often, just with different people.

But that would be mean and ungrateful to my friends. Haruhi and the rest had been good friends to me throughout, despite my unpopularity and initial anti-social behavior towards them. They had stuck with me, and not given up on me, which proves that they actually, genuinely care about me. I haven't had someone who really cared about my friendship and company that much since my middle school days. And it meant the world to me. Giving up on them would not show how I really feel about their friendship with me.

I shook my head and sighed. There was no point in going back and forth anymore. I'd made my decision now.

While walking out of the school, I passed Haruhi and the twins. Doing something for the Host Club, no doubt. The three were still in their school uniforms, not in any elaborate costumes or anything.

"Amaya, hi!" Haruhi said, and waved at me with a large smile on her cherubic face. I waved back, hoping they wouldn't notice the slight hesitation. No matter how thick my resolve was to keep my friendship with the Host Club, I was still slightly worried about how the other two girls would react to this.

* * *

"Something's up," Kaoru stated a few days later. He and I were sharing a quick moment to talk before class started. People were slowly filtering in through the door. Hikaru was here, in his usual seat, but Haruhi wasn't, so there was an empty space between the twins' desks. I looked up, pretending not to know what he was talking about.

"With you," Kaoru clarified, "Ever since Wednesday. You've just seemed more… distant, I guess. Off, you know?"

"It's nothing," I replied back, hoping we could just leave it at that. Kaoru turned his head around and gave me such an intense look of disbelief that I had to tell him about what happened in an almost inaudible tone. My gaze kept flickering around the room, but the other people were absorbed in their own conversations. Kaoru kept a very neutral expression throughout and never interrupted me. When I was finished, he still looked unfazed.

"Yeah… that happens sometimes. When Haruhi first joined, for example, there was a girl who was jealous of the attention she got from Tamaki. Those kind of nutcases show up every now and then," he said with a slight shrug. I nodded slowly, embarrassed now. His blasé attitude towards the situation was making my problem seem really trivial and pathetic. Hikaru was now looking in our direction, up to speed since he had obviously listened to our conversation for a while.

"Just wait it out. It'll all blow off in no time. It's mostly because you… don't have an obsession with us and that we all spend time together." Hikaru grinned and I smiled back. Although, when he paused, he looked as if he was about to say something else. Something along the lines of, "… because Class 1-A already dislikes you." There's no denying it; it's true. But, the question is why?

* * *

"Listen up, loser," I knew they were talking to me, but I ignored it. I knew this confrontation was coming soon, but I hadn't expected it to be this long. It had almost been a full week since the first time.

Suddenly, I felt a shove on the small of my back, throwing me off balance. I didn't fall over, but I was certainly caught off guard. I turned around quickly to see, not surprisingly, the same two girls (I still didn't know their names…) glaring at me viciously. _Another deserted classroom scene_, I thought to myself.

"We told you to stay away from the host club guys," the dark haired one said.

"Kohaku's right, Amaya," the brunette spat out my name while Kohaku nodded assent. I stammered for a moment, utterly terrified and completely unable to think of what to say. I paused momentarily, thinking that, if I weren't going to defend myself, then I would never stop being frightened by these two. They'd never get the message.

"I don't want to abandon my friends. Their friendship means much more to me than an end to all of this teasing." I said testily, passion and rage emitting from every word. "I don't care anymore, all right? It won't change a thing because my priorities are still the same." Kohaku laughed mockingly, as if I were a twelve year old who had just said something incredibly cliché.

"Oh, snap… Asami, don't you think that's inspiring? Whatever will we do?" The dry, indifferent tone of voice she used made a dent in my bravado, and I could feel myself feeling more inferior and terrified. I hated myself for being so weak. I really felt pure hatred. If I had more self-confidence and wasn't so meek about this, then it would've ended a long time ago.

"Well… how about we try this, Kohaku?" Asami said, menacingly leering at me. Her eyes were flashing with pure hatred.

It all happened so fast.

First, force. Then momentum. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor. It took me a moment to register that Asami had shoved me again, but much harder this time. My right forearm felt as if it was badly bruised, and there was something on my wrist. When I looked down, there was a small but steady stream of blood trailing from an infinitesimal scrape. From what I deduced, my right arm had slammed against the wall, and my wrist had slightly hit the edge of the window.

Tears were flowing from my eyes, but it wasn't from pain. It was from shock, shock that anyone would resort to violence over something so trivial, so insignificant. I vaguely remembered some laughter from Asami and Kohaku, but they were gone. Left me to suffer emotionally.

_It could really be so, so much worse_, I thought in an attempt to put things into perspective. But, for once, I decided to let my heart rule over my mind and let the depressing emotions flow through. _Life sucks_. Slowly lifting myself off of the ground, I left the deserted classroom, feeling emotionally drained for the second time in the past couple of days.

* * *

It's not very hard to describe how I felt after all of that. But simple words like "sad" and "angry" couldn't do the job. Even longer, more descriptive words such as "despondency" or "moroseness" didn't qualify. If I _had_ to sum it up in one word, it would be this: "dejection". Not really a very long or short word, but a word nevertheless.

Honestly, I felt like a discarded piece of trash. A piece of trash that never had any value or interest associated with it. Maybe this is a bit out of proportion, and maybe I'm being way to dramatic. But how would you feel if someone hated you enough to injure you physically and emotionally?

I never thought this would happen. Not here. I never expected this at all. It crushes me, really. I wasn't sure if I could look at my friends without feeling the sharp pang of fresh memories, words spoken that they wouldn't know about. Why drag them into my problems? It's not necessary. But the time had come for me to rethink my decision. I couldn't live like this, knowing that they could hurt me again if they wanted to.

I was scared. Really, I was. But the question was, did I want to give in to my fear like I always do? I had fallen hard many times before all of this. Only this time, I didn't know how I was going to get up again.

* * *

There were always several empty seats at the back of the classroom. The next day, I didn't hesitate to snag one as far away from my friends as possible. Kohaku and Asami shot me leering assents, while Haruhi and the twins looked back at me in confusion. Ignoring all of them, I began to do what I do best: math assignments that were due by the end of the period.

* * *

"Seriously, Amaya?" I looked over my shoulder to see Kaoru standing by my desk. It was lunchtime, so most students had left for the cafeteria; including Hikaru and my two tormenters.

"You're going to blow us off just because a few girls are intimidating you? What happened to the whole, 'I'm not going to leave you guys no matter what' spiel? I guess it was only a pile of crap." Kaoru snapped, and I gulped. I'd never seen him angry like this, and it was annoying because he didn't know the entire story. He was right though: I was being a coward and a jerk. No matter what other selfless motives I had, I was mainly doing this to avoid more violence and threats, because I was so afraid, because I gave into my fear instead of standing up to it.

I replied quietly, "It's nothing, really."

I turned to leave but felt his hand around my wrist. I flinched by reflex.

"I'm not taking that as an answer, Amaya. I know exactly what you're doing." He said, "You don't want to drag me or the rest of us into your issue. I get it. But, if there's a part of the story you're not telling us, then it's our right to know." I wrenched my wrist from his tight grip, refusing to look him in the eye out of guilt.

"If only it was half that noble…" I murmured. Finally, I made eye contact, and my insides flipped over at the sight. His eyes didn't reflect the anger in his voice; they were concerned. He did care about me. It was the look in his eyes that made me pour out everything to him.

"Okay, yes. I had two main reasons for doing this. One, as you said, was because I didn't think you guys needed to deal with my problems. I really wanted to vent out to someone, but I didn't for your sake, for everyone's sake.

"But when I decided to avoid you guys, I was also doing it out of fear. I gave in to the fear that they instilled into me and I couldn't live like this anymore. That's what I hate about myself: I'm so spineless when it comes to something I can't handle. So you can call me a coward and a mean person, because I know it's true." Kaoru's expression changed a bit, softened slightly. Only slightly, because the initial hardness was still there.

"… You're neither. But go on." He said. Thankful for the reassurance, I pulled up the sleeve of my uniform to show the small Band-Aid on my wrist an the huge bruise on my forearm.

"Is it still 'no big deal'?" I asked, quoting his words from the other day. "You have no idea about how I feel about this. It's the fact that it's me; that I'm the one they single out. What is it that's so abnormal about my behavior or personality that makes them resort to violence?" I said, all of the anger and pain I'd been feeling since I got here pouring out in these heartfelt words.

"Amaya, that's not-" Kaoru began, but I wouldn't let him have another word. I didn't want to miss my opportunity.

"Have you ever been alienated like this? I doubt it; everyone fricking loves you guys! You have no idea what I'm going through."

"If you would just try to make the effort and make fri-" Kaoru began again, but that was it. I was furious beyond reason at this point.

"You think I'm not trying?" I said, flinching at how dangerous my voice sounded, but I couldn't back down now. Not if I wanted to be taken seriously. "You think I'm not trying? I want to have more friends; what high school kid wouldn't, really? Not really friendship, actually, more like acceptance. But it's harder when people are constantly throwing insults at you as if they're slapping you in the face. Have you ever felt that way, Kaoru? Have you?" I ended coldly. Kaoru was staring at me open-mouthed.

"Great. I've freaked you out, too, haven't I?" I said glumly. "Sorry to lash out at you like that. But now you know what I've been feeling every second I've been at Ouran. Now you know why I have t do this." I said, and walked off. I was at the doorway when I heard his voice again.

"Yeah, actually." I turned to see Kaoru's face, stricken with cold anger and painful remorse at the same time. "I have felt that way before. And that's a really BS reason. I thought you were different." I couldn't hear any more and walked out of the room.

I didn't like the way my footsteps echoed with finality, but that was it. I was done.

* * *

Asami and Kohaku approached me later that day in the hallway. Asami wore a strange look between mischievousness and amazement on her face.

"Nice job, Amaya." Kohaku said, a forced smile on her face. "Umm… Did I ever tell you how nice your hair looks?" Just as I was about to thank her for the compliment, I remembered something. An insult from Kohaku a few day ago.

_ "Does she ever brush her hair? It's so stringy…"_

It was Kohaku; I was sure of it. I remember her voice distinctly. Why would she change her opinion so quickly? It's only been a few days, and I haven't been doing anything different to my hair. So, obviously, she was lying. I should have known that they weren't actually going to be my real friends. All they wanted was for me to avoid the Host Club. This is just a heavy price to pay for that, I guess.

"This… isn't going to work out," I said.

"I beg your pardon? What did you say? We had a deal, remember, Amaya?" Kohaku said in disbelief, the fake smile had disappeared.

"There's no need for you guys to pretend, okay? I know you guys don't want to be my friend. Is that true?" I said testily. Asami and Kohaku hesitated, then both nodded. It was true. I shook my head in disbelief at my stupidity.

"I should have known from the start. You never wanted to be my friend. This was just a price to pay for me leaving the Host Club alone, right? Was that the plan? 'Get the loser away from the hot guys, but we'll say we can be her friends so she'll do it'? How stupid do you think I am?"

"Pretty darn stupid if you just figured it all out now." Asami muttered. I locked my gaze into her contemptuous stare. "Face it, Amaya. You got the book-smarts, and you got plenty of that. But you're about as naïve as you can get. And yeah. We just wanted you to get away from the Host Club, but we needed to persuade you to do it. What you want most is the acceptance of class 1-A. Do the math." I shook my head, realization dawning on me like the morning sun.

"I was wrong… This is wrong of me… to turn my back on my real friends for your way of faking your end of the deal. I'm sorry, but as much as all of the persecution bothers me – and it _does_ bother me – I don't care what you say or do to me anymore. You can hit me and shove me as much as you like, but I'm going to stick with the people who actually care about me." I said, defiant. I was seriously pissed off. I'd been dealing with this problem for several days, almost more than a week and I was sick of it. It needed to end. I turned around and walked off, leaving Asami and Kohaku openmouthed in shock.

The whole conversation seemed unreal. Too calm, too placid, no real anger displayed at all. Sure, I was angry and upset when I told them off, but it didn't become this whole showdown or anything (not that I was expecting it to). The conversation had barely escalated above a low monotone.

Still… there's no denying the relief that I felt after it was all said and done.

* * *

"Hey guys!" I called to Haruhi and the twins. It was later that day, all classes done, and the grin on my face was unmistakable.

"Hey, Amaya…" Haruhi said, smiling back. Both Hikaru and Kaoru kept neutral, blank expressions. It might take me a while to win back their trust, but it'll all be worth it in the end. At least they didn't look angry. Hikaru and Haruhi turned away and started talking to each other, while Kaoru still was staring at me. I mouthed two, meaningful words to him.

'I'm sorry'

He didn't smile back, but his eyes showed remorse. Slowly, the corners of his lips turned up into a genuine smile and, before turning to the others, he mouthed back.

'Me too.'


End file.
